


The Return

by Keeper_Amy



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Adamant Fortress, Child, F/M, The Calling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-02 13:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4060933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keeper_Amy/pseuds/Keeper_Amy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shorty after the blight Tabris fled from Denerim. She could never be a queen. But then she found out that she was with a baby. How could she ever came back after leaving Alistair? Tabris was to afriad. No one should know wher she was all the years - until, after ten years, she heard the calling. With that her life was over.<br/>The only think she could do was finding a home for her child no one knew about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leliana, my dear friend

Hand in hand with a little blonde elf girl walked a mother full in armor. Tears sparkled in her eyes like they never did. Against her will she went over the lager bridge, a huge keep before her. On each side of the two elves the mountains embraced the shiny blue sky. Only one cloud was seen. The air was so fresh. Oh how Nala Tabris missed such weather.

A very long time has passed since the elf woman left Ferelden without saying anyone where she was going. In the first years everyone searched for her. Then rumors made their way through the world. Many people thought that the warden died. In some tales Tabris went to the deep roads to battle her last fight. But this, of course, was just a tale. Oghren and Sigrun would know if the warden would be seen in Orzammar.

The elf just disappeared without any trace. And by now nobody expected her to be alive.

She wouldn’t come to the keep if it weren’t necessary.

As she passed the gate, some humans looked at her but no one knows who she was. So many different people passed those gates – the sigh of a mother with a kid was a normal thing. Tabris tightened her grip on her daughter’s hand, as she stood before the stairs that led to the main hall of the inquisition.

The Inquisition. This was the last place where Tabris wanted to be. All she wanted was sitting at home at the fireplace reading a story to her little daughter. The girl was way too young to live at the inquisition, but Nala know that there were people who could protect her. Everything about this girl was special. It was a miracle that she was alive!

As everyone knows, grey warden couldn’t have any child. But there she stood. A girl aged 8, soon to be 9. Tabris cared her for over _12 months_ in her belly. It wasn’t a normal pregnancy at all. Because of the taint the embryo was about to die. Only with magic her life could be saved. That’s why the child grow up slower than other children. Tabris could barely move in the last 5 months. The pregnancy teared at her life, as the embryo fought against the taint of his mother. If the baby had died, the warden would have killed herself.

It was her dream to have a daughter.

But now she had to leave her alone, like her mother left her alone.

Slowly the mother and the daughter went up the stairs. The large door was open, so the warden could easily step in. Without thinking she went straight to the throne. Then she had to use her ears and brain to think where to go next. So she decided to take the door left to the red throne before the large window. And as she saw a young woman sitting at her table she knew that it was the right decision. After all those years her instinct worked fairy well.

“Excuse me, but visitors are not allowed in this part of the keep.” said the dark haired woman.

“I’m no visitor.” was all the warden said, as she passed by her and walked into the war room. There were four people around the large war table. Three of them were familiar, the last one everyone knew from tales – inquisitor Lavellan.

“As I said, visitors aren’t welcome her!” yelled the woman behind Nala. Everyone looked up to the warden. As Tara Tabris saw Morrigan, she let go of her mother’s hand and run towards the witch.

“Who are you?” the inquisitor asked. Cullen to her left put his hand on the handle of his sword, next to him stood Leliana eying the warden.

“As I said before, I’m no visitor. I am just an old friend of Leliana and Morrigan.” Nala smiled back at Josephine.

The inquisitor wanted to say something, but Leliana spoke fist. It hit her with a force she could not imagine. The way Morrigan looked at the bond girl that looked really familiar and that elf before her. All puzzle pieces formed up to a whole story. “Maker’s breath, Nala!” came a cry out of Leliana’s mouth. Morrigan grinned evilly at her fellow friend.

“Nala? As _Nala Tabris_ , _the Hero of Ferelden_?” the inquisitor wanted to know.

Tabris nodded. “Yeah… That’s all me.” Then she heard it again. The song that hunt her down past the few weeks. She could feel her body tense. Once again tears came up to her eyes. “Leliana… Can we talk in private? It’s important.” It was only a whisper.

Morrigan took Tara by her hand and leaded her to the gardens, where she would play with Kieran. Both kids know each other better than anyone else. Thanks to Morrigan the little girl lived. Only the witch knew about everything since the first day. Nobody else.

“Everything you want. You have to explain… a lot of things.” With this, Leliana went with Tabris to her quarters where they could speak without anybody hearing them.

 

* * *

 

 

“Where have you been all those years?!”

“I’m very sorry. I really wanted to tell everyone. But it doesn’t go as planned.” Tabris breathed heavily. She hasn’t talked to her friend for a very long time. Now it was difficult too sum everything together. Also, there were topics she hated to talk about. “I… I left Alistair a few months after the blight.”

“Why?” Leliana thought she had heard something wrong. This could not be real. Tabris an Alistair loved each other so much! Even the blight could not take them apart. Together they were happy, they were strong. The red haired woman remembered how Alistair reacted to the news that the warden left. He was broken for many weeks!

“I couldn’t take it anymore! Everyone knew I could never be the queen. Alistair and I were not allowed to marry; we could never have kids… So I left. Alistair could search for a queen an I started a research about the taint. Without me he would do better. But then I noticed that I was pregnant. The baby was about to die! My body tried to kill the child, Leliana! Can you imagine how I felt? Then I found Morrigan – or better to say she found me – and she took care of me. I was so week for the first years. Tara was always ill. Somehow the time went past. It was too late to tell anyone about her. So I went on with my research. By the time everyone had their own lives. How could I ruin that? The silly little warden was afraid.”

Leliana didn’t interrupt her friend. She just listened to the warden in silence. Tabris looked to the ground not proud of what she had done. During the blight they trusted each other. Right now the elf felt guilty for not telling anyone that she was with a child.

“All in all that’s the story. I’m so sorry.” whispered the warden looking like the girl that she was in the Alienage. Only person who knew her could say that she was the Hero of Ferelden.

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m glad you’re back. But… why right now?” Leliana sounded confused. Tabris could come back whenever she wanted but chose one of the worst times. The spy did not understand her logic.

“I…” spoke Tabris slowly. Once again tears build up behind her eyes. For the first time for over 8 years she could cry. And she did. The tears ran hot hover her cheeks. It felt so good to cry aloud. She couldn’t be the perfect woman any more. Before Leliana she felt safe – like she did during the blight, like the inquisitor did right now. “I hear it. Leliana, I can hear the calling.”

That’s why Tabris brought her daughter to Skyhold. She knew that Leliana would take care of Tara. The spy was her only hope. Of course, Alistair would take care of the child as well, but the warden didn’t want to bother him. By now he had someone else on her place. For sure he will be married sooner or later.

“How? I mean, it’s just ten years since your joining. Shouldn’t the calling come in twenty years?” Leliana was breathless. Her best friend and the hero of whole Ferelden was about to die – a lot earlier than everyone thought. Alistair was longer a warden than Nala but he hadn’t noticed anything. His time wasn’t up yet. So… Why Tabris? Why her, why right now when she was back?

Full of sorrows Leliana put her arms around the crying elf. Tabris sobbed into her friend’s shoulder like there were no tomorrow. For her, the life will end soon. She was scared and happy at the same time. Her life was a fine one. Maybe not so easy but she loved it. Her friends, her daughter, her family in Denerim and Alistair - all of them made her life so wonderful even in the middle of the blight. How could she don’t be happy with them on her side?

All of a sudden Leliana pulled her back, forcing the warden to look into her eyes. They were filled with tears to. Tears of horror, sadness and even joy. “It will be alright. The inquisitor is working on it. We assume that Corypheus has something to do with the calling. A lot of grey warden disappeared. Maybe you’re just affected.” And with this, the warden could only wait for the melody to go away. Her life was in the hand of inquisitor Lavellan.

_Leliana send a raven to **Denerim** the same day…_


	2. Tara Wynne Tabris

Time passed by and Tabris stayed at Skyhold. She got a nice chamber where she and Tara lived. It felt so good to be with friend again. Also the warden made new friends. The Inquisitor was younger than her and full of energy. Every time Tabris watched her she saw her younger self. Sometime both elves spoke about their homes or their families.

But right now Tabris could only prey. The inquisition went to Adamant Fortress. Days went on and on without Lavellan around. And then suddenly silence overtook the warden. Tabris stopped eating automatically, for which reason Tara looked up to her.

“What’s wrong mama?” asked the child with sorrow in her voice.

Tabris smiled. “Nothing is wrong. Could you go to Kieran and aunt Morrigan for some time darling? Mama has to go to aunt Leliana.” She never felt so great like now. It was gone. The melody disappeared with all her sorrows leaving only positive feelings behind. Leliana was right. Corypheus affected her mind as well. The calling that she was hearing all the time was fake! She could live! Her life wasn’t over yet.

The last time Tabris felt so happy she just ended the blight. Currently she felt even better. When she fought on top of Fort Drakon she could only hope to live. Even knowing that Morrigan saved her and Alistair from death after Riordan died by the archdemon she could die because of a cut or something else – after all, she was just an elf not an immortal goodness.

After bringing Tara in the garden, Tabris run to the tower Leliana usually was. There the redhead had all her crows there. While the inquisitor was gone the keep was quit empty. Lots of people went to Adamant. The warden wanted to go too. But Leliana didn’t let her go past the walls of Skyhold to afraid her friend could disappear once more. Leliana… She was a good friend but – of course - she could be overprotective sometimes. All Tabris could do about it was shaking her head. This was the Leliana she loved as her best friend.

Running up the last few stair steps Tabris yelled happily “Leliana! It’s gone. The calling is gone!”

 

_“Nala?”_

 

Tabris paused abruptly. In shock she staggered why she almost fell down the stairs. If her balance wouldn’t be so good she would lay down in the library. Not only was the warden shocked. Before her Leliana was speaking to a blond man with a shiny armor. Widen eyes were on the elf, both from the blond male as well as from Leliana. The spy had not thought about Tabris going up to her place in the middle of the day. Normally Tabris would play with her daughter or had a little chat with Morrigan. Leliana for her part had to work, so the inquisition could win against Corypheus.

“So Leliana told the truth. You’re finally back. How long have it been? Nine years or was it ten? I don’t know any more.” with a soft voice the blond man spoke. The way he looked at her made Tabris felt guilty once again.

All she could do was looking away too afraid to made eye contact. The almighty Warden-Commander was fought against the archdemon, all sorts of darkspawn and a lot of other things like spiders or wolfs but right now she was just afraid. It was so hilarious. If she could she would laugh at herself. Meeting him was all she wanted. But… Not right now, not like this!

“What have you told him?” the warden asked Leliana without looking at her past lover.

“Nothing at all. Only that you have returned.” the red-haired woman spoke. “I… I leave you two alone.” With that she walked past Tabris down the stairs. First, the warden wanted to grab her hand and beg her to stay but the she realized that she really have to talk to Alistair. One way or another.

“So… How are you doing?” Alistair was the one who spoke. His kind and open way made Tabris look up to him. She could not understand how he could stay so calm. She left him without saying where she was going. She abandoned him just like this. And now he stood before her with a small smile ready to make so jokes.

“I…” What could she say? She was to afraid her voice would broke. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, that’s great. And… how was your journey?” The conversation was helpless. Alistair tried to speak with Tabris but she could not answer properly. It made no sense. He could not lie to himself like this. He sighed. “Maybe it was wrong to came here. I will leave by the morning so you don’t have to be stress with me anymore. Good luck and such thinks, for the future I mean.”

With that Tabris knew she had to do something. Anything! “No!” she yelled stepping one step forward. “Don’t go…” Her actions surprised her while her heart hurt badly. One tear run down her cheeks. Only one lonely hot tear.

For the first time Alistair did not know what to do or to say. He only stared at her wide-eyed. All those years haven’t changed her at all. She was the same elf girl he fell in love with. She still was his Tabris, his everything.

“Alistair… I’m so sorry!” Tabris went, no she run, across the room, so that she could throw herself into his arms. It was a silly act and she knew it. But still… She needed this so badly. Probably this was their last meeting. She had to tell him everything. He deserved to know about Tara. “I’m so sorry that I left. It was a mistake and I know it. But… It was too late when I realized it. I couldn’t go back anymore and then years passed by so fast and… and… After all this time I was too afraid to come back.”

Alistair laid his arms around her hips pulling her closer to his chest. “Were you afraid the dragon that lived in Denerim for a few years or was it the rats in our cellar?” Joking as always. He knew very well that she was afraid of him. How could anyone be afraid of him?! “Where have you lived all the time? And why are you at the inquisition now?” he asked to change the subject and to learn something new. He hoped to understand her.

“Here and there, it doesn’t matter.” she answered “And I’m here because... because of the calling.”

“The calling?!” Alistair felt like he was punched in his face. Hearing that his Tabris was hearing the calling right now when he found her and on such a young age made him feel like… he didn’t know like what. It was the worst felling he ever had.

Seeing how upset Alistair was Tabris laid her hand on his cheek and smiled at him. “Yeah, but I don’t hear it anymore. Thanks to Inquisitor Lavellan.” Then the hardest part came upon her. She had to tell him about Tara. Her other hand grabbed his right hand and squeezed it. “I came here because I know that Leliana would take care of Tara.”

Alistair looked puzzled at her. “Tara?” He never heard this name out of her mouth.

“Tara _Wynne_ Tabris to be correctly.”

Yeah… The warden named her little kid after the best mage she ever know. How would she like to be at her funeral. Everyone was there but her. Giving Tara a second name was all Tabris could do too show how important Wynne was to her. She was like a mother to her.

If it was a boy instead of a girl the Warden know how she would name him. Only one name was good enough for her son. Duncan. She would name him Duncan like Alistair always wished to.

“Are you telling me that…?”

“Tara is my daughter. _**Our daughter**_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe... Sorry if there are any errors. Englisch is not my nativ language so...  
> If you see anything I'd be happy to hear about it.


	3. To meet him

Still in shock Alistair walked behind Tabris who made her way to the garden, where Tara should be playing with Kieran. Also the elf was nervous. Her heart felt heavy like if a stone was placed on her chest. She barely could breath. But she was happy. Till now Alistair did not say anything that made her sad or worse. In her head a soft voice whispered words of understanding. She knew Alistair was just overwhelmed with all news.

“Does she… you know... _know about me_? That I’m her father and all?” asked Alistair a little bit confused. Tabris stopped before the door to the garden. The great hall was quite empty.

“I told her that her dad was a very brave man who saved my life very often and that one day he will come back. She is still young and doesn’t understand everything.” Even if Tabris wanted to tell her daughter the truth she couldn’t. Tara would hate her for making her half orphan. The little girl wanted to meet her father so much. “I understand if you don’t want to be a part of her life but-“

“Don’t start with this again! Of course I want to. She is my daughter after all – even if I don’t know her yet.” Alistair looked at Tabris with strong will in his eyes.

“You have to know that she is not a… normal child.” the elf whispered quietly. “She is constantly ill and she need more time to learn the easiest things.” Tabris know very well that it was her fault that Tara is underdeveloped. After all Tabris fought lots of fights while pregnant, took a lot of potions and mixed poisons for her weapon. Also the taint of her and Alistair’s blood make her this way. “If I haven’t found Morrigan Tara would be dead many years ago. She might be a miracle but the price she pays for it is too high.”

Then it got Alistair as well. He knew very well that it was impossible for one warden to have kids, don’t mention two. “So… You are telling me that her blood is tainted as well?”

Tabris nod. “Yes. She is tainted since her first day.”

“Do you know something about the… calling?” asked Alistair with disappointment in his voice. “Will she hear it too?”

“Unfortunately, yes. But thanks to Morrigan and my research it will come when she will be old. Maybe I find a cure till this day.”

All the talk made Tabris depressed. That’s why she opened the door and walked in. Tara sat alone on a bench; Kieran was nowhere to be found. “Mommy is back!” called the elf and her daughter jumped to the ground. Laughing Tara ran towards her mother. Then she saw Alistair passing through the door and she stopped as if she knew who he was. Even a blind would know the two were related. And if Alistair was uncertain about all the things Tabris told him now he knew she was right. Tara was his daughter. They looked alike.

“Ehm… Hello there?” Alistair was the one who spoke. Tabris beside him could feel how tense he was. But still there was a bright smile on his lips. The elf herself was glad as well. She took Alistair’s hand to give him some support – to show him she was with him.

“Tara, my dear, this is Alistair. I told you a lot about him, do you remember?”

The girl nodded slowly.

“He is your father. We both know you need time but please thing about it before you get upset.”

But the girl didn’t say spoke – not until she stood in front of Alistair. “Are you really my daddy?” she asked in a childlike manner. Tabris was a little bit afraid if Tara would accept Alistair as her father. All the time she wanted to meet him but now she was so quiet.

“Yes, I am.” answered the blond male.

With that Tara tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to leave as again?”

Not only Alistair was shocked but Tabris as well. How could Tara ask something like this the first time she met her father? It made the elf feel guiltier than she ever felt. It was her fault. She waited too long.

“I… Of course _not_! I will never let neither of you go.” The words were said before Alistair could think. Tara smiled a goofy smile and embraced her father and mother. They looked like a happy family but Tabris know, Alistair should not have said this. He was still a King. _He could not give a promise he could not hold._


End file.
